Check if you need a residence permit

You can enter Finland freely without a visa or a residence permit. If you intend to live and work in Finland for longer than 90 days, you need to register your right to reside in Finland at the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) after your arrival.

Register the Right of Residence
Click here to redirect to the Migri web pages: I am an EU citizen | migri.fi

Finland offers a Startup Permit for startup founders coming from outside the EU. The Finnish Startup Permit makes it easy and fast for innovative entrepreneurs outside EU to build a startup company in Finland and to become part of Finland’s vibrant startup ecosystem. Follow an easy two-step process to obtain a residence permit to move to Finland on the basis of establishing a startup.

 

1. Submit Your Eligibility Statement Request to Business Finland

You must get a positive Eligibility Statement from Business Finland before applying for a startup residence permit. Start your journey by creating a user account at Enter Finland. Then refer to EnterFinland | Startup Eligibility Statement to apply for an Eligibility Statement on behalf of your whole team.

For further information, please refer to Business Finland pages at Finnish startup permit.

 

2. Submit Your Application for the Finnish Startup Permit

After receiving a favourable assessment from Business Finland, your next step is to apply for the Finnish Startup Permit from Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), with Business Finland’s decision as an attachment.

You can use “Fast Track Service” to get your decision in two weeks. For further information, please refer to Fast track | migri.fi.

More information on the Startup residence permit can be found at Start-up entrepreneur | migri.fi.